Preshaped form

ABSTRACT

A prefabricated relief form member for use as an architectural feature on a structure formed alternatively by use of welded wire mesh, double wire welded wire mesh, corner beads fixed together, or woven wire mesh and optionally using corner beads at the corners of the top and sides, and having backing paper.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of patent application Ser. No.441,251, filed May 15, 1995, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,116 on Nov.11, 1997, which is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 222,826filed Apr. 5, 1994 now abandoned. The contents of the two priorapplications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to prefabricated, light-weight, plaster reliefforms to provide quick, low cost, installation of support members forconstructing plaster coated decorative “plant-on's” or “bump-outs” tothe outside walls of dwelling structures.

2. Previous Art

Ornamentation and decoration of building structures such as residencesand businesses is one important aspect of architecture. Marketing andsale of residences is enhanced by additional decorative detail. Pride ofownership is also enhanced by improved appearance of one's building orresidence. Ornamentation and decorative details are used extensively toadd desirability and attractiveness to structures.

In certain regions of the country, such as the West and Southwest, thehomes in the Mission style, and the Mediterranean style are quitepopular. One of the popular methods of ornamentation used for thesestyles of homes is referred to in the building trades as “plant-ons” or“bump-outs”. The plant-ons may extend for a considerable length alongthe horizontal or vertical dimension of a wall or walls of a home orbusiness. The plant-ons add a band or bands of relief to an otherwiseblank facade that is presented by an unbroken expanse of plaster orstucco. The bands may extend completely around the outside perimeter ofa building. For a conventional home of 2500 sq. ft., this may amount to300-500 ft of bands for one single layer. The support for these bandsare generally made of overlapping wooden boards including a first layerof 2×12 inches and a second layer of 2×8 inches. The boards are placedend to end in standard lengths of 8 to 12 ft to create a continuousrelief band around the home. Similar bands may be constructed arounddoor and window openings.

Attractive relief borders around windows and doors are also used toprovide enhancements to the architecture of homes and buildings. Suchwindow and door borders have been constructed using the above methodsand materials.

These features are not necessary to the structural integrity of thebuilding, but do add a pleasing visual aesthetic appearance to a home orbusiness.

One example of architectural relief products for attachment to homes arepre-shaped foam members such as cornices, bases, sills and balusters,for example, supplied by High Tech Foam Products, Inc of Corona, Calif.Foam members may be provided in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Thedisadvantage of these members as supports for relief bands include theexpense of the items themselves, on the order of $5 to $6 per linearfoot, and the additional labor and material involved in adding a layerof screening or lath material over the foam to provide a matrix for theplaster to adhere.

A conventional method of construction of plant-ons uses one or moreplanks of overlapping boards attached to a wall at a particular height.To achieve a continuous band or strip of relief, multiple lengths ofuniform cross section boards are aligned end to end and attached to thestuds of a prepared wall. For conventional construction, the studs mustbe no more than 24 inches on center, or less, according to theapplicable local, state or national building codes. The attachment isdone with hammer driven nails, power gun driven nails, large staple gunsor the like. The boards are attached to the wall prior to theapplication of a plaster coat or coats and prior to the application of alath sheeting which will form a matrix or lattice for supporting theplaster when it is applied. The lath is conventionally made of chickenwire or expanded metal and attached with nails, staples or the like. Thelath sheeting may be suspended away from the wall and boards by afurring strip or strips interposed between the surface of the wall andthe sheeting. Self furred sheeting or wire may also be used to maintainthe spacing between the wall and the sheeting. An example of such wireis self furred metal lath made by California Expanded Metal ProductsCompany of Industry, Calif. “Dimpled” or ribbed type self furring metallath provides a 1/4 inch indentation in the metal lath to hold it awayfrom the wall allowing the plaster to fill the space between, insuringthe lath is embedded. The spacing between the lath and the wall orboards provides the opening for the plaster coat to surround the lathand thereby bond firmly to the wall. A moisture barrier layer, ofbuilding paper, for example, is applied between the boards and the lathsheeting by means of staples, nails, an adhesive coating or the like.

The boards provide the relief pattern or bump-out desired. Additionalscreening is cut and shaped by hand to conform to the protrudingbump-out and nailed or stapled to the boards and the wall.

Plaster is then applied to the bump-out and the wall to form thefinished surface.

With reference to FIG. 10A, there is shown a schematic diagram of anexploded view of one previous art method of assembly for a manuallyfabricated plaster relief form as described above. A plurality of boardsof desired width with the same cross section are aligned end to end andnailed to the prepared wall to form a continuous plaster relief band tothe desired length. Additional lengths of wire screen or lath sectionsmay be placed over the boards and formed by hand to the contour of theboards. The additional sections are then typically nailed in place. FIG.10B illustrates a cross section of such a relief form having a boardattached to a stud framed wall. A layer of moisture barrier paper andmetal screen or lath are typically placed against the wall and attachedby nails to the studs. A plurality of spacers, such as furring strips ordimples in the additional screen sections, are provided between theboards and the additional wire screen sections to allow the subsequentplaster layer to flow into the openings of the wire screen sections andfill the space between the screens and the top of the boards. Plaster isthen typically applied by hand using a hawk and trowel method or appliedwith a nozzle connected to a machine as described above.

With reference to FIG. 10C, an additional improvement to the previousart method is shown. Guide edge members are attached, typically bynailing into the form boards, to the edges of the wire screen sectionsover the plaster form boards. The guide edges are spaced apart from andaligned to be parallel with the plaster form boards. The guide edgemembers provide a guide to the trowel or plaster dispensing nozzle asthe plaster is applied, thereby allowing a uniform depth of plaster tobe applied easily. Representative guide edge members used in the tradeare made from 14 gauge wire such as the “CEMCORNER” corner reinforcementmade by Cemco, Covina Lane, Calif. Or the “CornerAid” cover nose wiremade by Stockton Products, Burbank, Calif.

The above-described method requires a number of hand operations, such anailing the boards, cutting the additional wire screen sections, handforming the screen sections over the boards and attaching the guide edgemembers, which significantly increases the cost of applying plasterrelief bands. It would be an advantage to provide a system to reduce thenumber of hand operations required to apply plaster relief bands.

It is important to select boards made of wood which are of uniform crosssection, in order to achieve a visually pleasing effect. Boards whichare not uniform in thickness or width will show angular offsets at theends where they meet. It is also important to select wood which is wellcured and has stable dimensional shape. If the wood twists or otherwisedeforms after the plaster has dried, unsightly cracks may appear. Cracksmay also allow moisture to penetrate the plaster and attack the woodbeneath, or provide additional unwanted access to wood destroying pests.Boards of suitable quality currently sell for $2 to $3 per linear foot.On a double band board structure, the cost could be from $15 to $18 perlinear foot, after including the costs of boards, lath application andfinished plaster.

The use of wood for forming the support structure for the plaster ofdecorative bands is well known in the trade. As the costs of woodcontinue to increase, and the availability of high quality boardscontinues to diminish, there is an urgent need to provide an alternativelow cost structure which will satisfy the desire for aestheticenhancements to the various stucco and plaster styles of home andoffice.

The non-uniformity of wooden boards in width and thickness can causeunsightly mismatch in the appearance of the relief bands on a home.Either higher quality and thus higher cost boards must be purchased, orlabor intensive and expensive modification must be made on the job site.This slows down the assembly process and further adds to the cost ofbuilding. It would be an advantage to provide a support structure forplaster relief bands which would guarantee uniformity in cross sectionaspect and thus match precisely when aligned at the ends.

The weight of the wood used for the band support structure createsseveral concerns. Handling and aligning long lengths of boards takesconsiderable strength and capability. Moving and holding a 12 footlength of board may require two workers to align successive boards. Thecost of shipping the wood used in making the band supports is also afactor in the cost of building plaster or stucco homes. Wood often isshipped in a condition wherein it contains an appreciable amount ofwater which significantly increases the weight of the wood. Woodtypically contains 30% or more water by weight. Such additional weightis of no use and in fact may be harmful as described above. Wood usedfor decorative support may also be stored outdoors while awaitingconstruction. It is possible for the wood to absorb moisture from thesurroundings thereby increasing its' weight even if it had been shippedin an originally dry state. It would be an advantage to have a bandsupport structure which is lighter in weight, thereby reducing the costand time of installation and the cost of shipping to the job site. Itwould be an additional advantage to provide a band support structurewhich could not absorb water while stored at a building site.

The use of wood as a building material combined with increased demandsfrom a growing population puts increasing pressure on our forestpreserves. It would be an advantage to provide a substitute materialwhich would reduce the need to use wood except where it is mosteffective, thereby preserving our valuable resources.

Even though the wood for plant on bands is covered by fire-resistantplaster, the building codes still require the bands to be consideredflammable structures. It would be an advantage to provide a substitutematerial which was impervious to fire, and thereby add increased safetyto homes and buildings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general purpose of the invention is to provide light weight, lowcost prefabricated plaster relief form members which can be shipped to aconstruction job site in final form to simplify the application ofrelief bands to the exterior of homes and buildings which are to becoated with a cementitous coating, typically plaster or stucco.

According to one embodiment of the invention a prefabricated plasterrelief form member is provided for receiving and retaining a fluidcementitious coating, such as plaster, when the member is attached to aprepared structural wall.

The member is configured from an openwork lattice sheet, preferably ofan expanded metal lath. The lattice sheet is adapted to receive andretain the plaster when the plaster when the plaster is applied by handor by spraying with a nozzle of a machine. The lattice sheet is formedinto a longitudinal channel having a top with opposed outer edges.

Two spaced apart sides extend away from the respective opposed outeredges, to respective base edges. The respective base edges are alignedparallel to the top such that a mounting plane is defined parallel tothe top of the channel.

Two mounting flange portions, each extending outward and away from thebase edges of the respective sides, lie within the mounting planeparallel to the channel.

The member is thus defined as a channel having a length between twoopposed ends and a width between the two opposed sides. The channel isconfigured to have an essentially uniform lateral cross section,perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension, protruding away from themounting plane.

The flange sections are adapted for mounting to the prepared structuralwall such that a plurality of such members mounted on the structuralwall and adjoined end-to-end form a continuous relief band protrudingfrom the wall. The flange sections may be nailed or stapled to the studsof a prepared wall after adjacent form members are aligned and adjoinedend-to-end.

The regular cross section of similar prefabricated form members ensuresan aesthetically pleasing effect is easily achieved without shaving,trimming or selecting wooden boards.

The light weight and regular shape of these prefabricated members enablefor easy and low cost installation of the support forms needed forapplying relief bands to stucco homes and buildings.

The metal lath or lattice work is light, but has sufficient strength tosupport the plaster coating and hold it in place while it cures. Theprefabricated shape enables the construction of plaster relief bandswithout the use of wood boards and the additional weight and shippingcost involved. The cells and strands of the lattice work providesopenings for the plaster to flow and provides a secure network for theplaster to take hold while it hardens.

The uniform shape of the form member is dimensionally stable and notsubject to absorbing water. This eliminates the potential of warpingthat occurs with the use of wood as support members for relief bands.

The combination of the structural support and the open lattice in theone element of the prefabricated form member reduces the labor thatotherwise is involved in attaching sheets of screen wire to the woodplanks used in conventional construction.

In another embodiment of the prefabricated form member, there isprovided at least one edge guide segment parallel to and spaced apart apreselected distance from at least one of the channel outer edges. Theedge guide segment is aligned parallel to the length of the member andis configured to provide a guide edge for a tool. A connecting frame isprovided for rigidly connecting the edge guide segment to the membersuch that the edge guide segment provides a secure guide edge for a toolused to apply the plaster or stucco coating to a preselected thicknessalong the length of the member. A preferred thickness of plaster coatingis about 7/8 inch minimum in the finished state.

The prefabricated form member is typically formed from expanded,galvanized metal having a preformed weight of about 3.4 pounds persquare yard. The lattice is shaped into an array of elongated hexagons,the hexagons having a major axis of about ½ inch and a minor axis ofabout 3/8 inch. The adjacent hexagons along the minor axis beingconnected at opposed sides by respective common side segments of about1/8 inch in length, and adjacent hexagons along the major axis beingconnected at the ends of respective 3/8 inch common end segments, whilethe respective side and end segments are connected by correspondingright and left angled linking segments.

A prefabricated form member as described above is non-permeable towater, non-flammable and semi-rigid and has a lateral strengthsufficient to support a plaster coating having a thickness from about ½inch in thickness, to about 2 inches in thickness.

It is an advantage in accordance with this invention to provide plasterrelief form members which eliminate the use of lumber in achievingarchitectural enhancement effects.

It is a further advantage in accordance with this invention to provideplaster relief form members which reduce cost of installation.

It is a further advantage in accordance with this invention to provideplaster relief form members which are lower in weight than equivalentlumber elements.

It is a further advantage in accordance with this invention to provideplaster relief form members which reduce the cost of shipping members tothe job site.

It is a further advantage in accordance with this invention to provideplaster relief form members which are uniform in cross section andimpervious to warping or cracking.

It is a further advantage in accordance with this invention to provideplaster relief form members which reduce the number of hand operationsand thereby reduce the cost of installation.

It is a further advantage in accordance with this invention to provideplaster relief form members which are non-flammable.

It is a further advantage in accordance with this invention to provideplaster relief form members which may be mass-produced in a wide varietyof standard shapes at low cost.

It is a further advantage in accordance with this invention to provideplaster relief form members which can be easily joined end-to-end toform visually uniform relief bands on outer walls, around door or windowopenings and along the facia of a building. The relief bands have stableshape with age and are resistant to warping and cracking due to moistureabsorption/desorption.

It is a further advantage of the present invention to use welded wirelath to form the form member absent any other structural support member.

It is a further advantage to add edge guides to the welded wire formmember.

It is a further advantage to form the member out of rib lath, preferablyby placing the rib members at the corners of the top and sides of thechannel and in addition to depress the top from the corners so that theribs provide edge guides, and absent any other structural supportmember.

It is a further advantage to form the member out of woven wire lath alsoknown as chicken wire, and preferably of the self furring form, absentany other structural support member, and in addition, preferably withedge guides applied to the corners of the top and side of the channel.

It is a further advantage, where edge guides applied to corners of thetop and sides of the channel are cut-down to have shorter sideextensions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a further understanding of the objects and advantages of the presentinvention, reference should be had to the following detaileddescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich like parts are given like reference numerals and wherein;

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of prefabricated plaster reliefforms members aligned end to end in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a section of expanded metal lath used as theopen work lattice material to make a preformed plaster relief formmember in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative prefabricated relief formmember having a paper backing.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative prefabricated plasterrelief form member angled to fit around intersecting walls.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative prefabricated plasterrelief form member angled to fit around door or window casings.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative prefabricated plasterrelief form member having a prefabricated guide edge member inaccordance with this invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross section taken along viewing plane 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b are cross sections of two alternative plaster reliefform members in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of two plaster relief formmembers aligned end-to-end on a structural wall.

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a previous art method of attachinghand made plaster relief forms made of wood and wire screen.

FIG. 10B is a cross section of a previous art hand made plaster reliefform.

FIG. 10C is a cross section of a previous art hand plaster relief formhaving separate guide edge members manually attached.

FIG. 11 is a perspective exploded diagrammatic view of a channel formedfrom welded-wire lath in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 12 is an end view of a preferred form of the invention shown inFIG. 11 in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic view of the invention as shown in FIGS. 11 and12 with edge guides added, in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic, exploded end view, of a form member made fromedge guides in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic end view of a form member made from rib lathin accordance with this invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a form member made fromwoven wire also known as chicken wire, with edge guides attached inaccordance with the invention.

FIG. 17 a is an end view of a type of corner bead.

FIG. 17 b is a top view of the corner bead of FIG. 17 a with the sideextensions rotated into a plane.

FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic end view of a generic form member with acut-down edge guides in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodiment of theprefabricated plaster relief form member in accordance with thisinvention, generally referred to by the numeral 20. The member 20 isshown aligned end-to-end with similar members 20 a and 20 b. The member20 is formed from an open lattice material 22 such as 3.4 lb/sq. yd.diamond mesh expanded metal made by Western Metal Lath Company of SanLeandro, Calif. The lattice material 22 is bent on a tool such as asheet metal brake in a metal shop to form a longitudinal channel havinga protuberant contour 30 with a top surface 31, opposed sides 34, 36 atessentially right angles to surface 31, and opposed ends 38, 40. Thesides 34, 36 of lattice material 22 are bent to form flanges 42, 44extending at essentially right angles away from the respective sides 34,36 of the member 20. The flanges 42, 44 are configured to lie in thesame mounting plane 46 indicated by the arrows x, y. The mounting plane46 and flanges 42, 44 are essentially parallel to the length L of themember 20. The depth D of the member 20 is typically about 1 1/2 inches,the width W typically about 6 to 12 inches and the length L typically 6to 10 feet. The flanges 42, 44 extend a distance F typically about 1 1/2inches respectively from each side 34, 35. The member 20 is configuredso that each end 38, 40 can abut contiguously at each end 38, 40 withadjacent identical members, as indicated by members 20 a and 20 b, toform a continuous relief band when mounted on a prepared structuralwall. The application and method of use of prefabricated plaster reliefbands is described below.

The members 20, 20 a, 20 b would typically be fabricated at a remotesite, such as a metal shop or manufacturing plant by using tools wellknown in the metal working trade.

A preferred manufacturing method for the prefabricated members 20 is anautomated means such as high speed punches and presses operated withappropriately configured molds to achieve a desire contour. Finishedmembers 20 would then be shipped to a job site for installation by lowercost tradespeople.

With reference to FIG. 2, there is shown a detail of a typical latticematerial 22. A preferred lattice 22 is typically formed of galvanizedsteel expanded to provide an hexagonal close packed array 48 of cells 50bounded by strands 52. The strands 52 are formed of galvanized sheetsteel typically about 0.020 inches thick. The cells 50 are elongatedhexagons with major axis 54 about 1 1/16 inch long and minor axis 56about 5/16 inch wide. Alternatively, the lattice 22 may be formed oflighter or heavier expanded metal, such as 1.75 lb/sq. yd. Or 2.5 lb/sq.yd. For smaller or larger preformed members. A suitable material is thegalvanized steel diamond mesh of 3.4 lb/sq. yd. Made by Western MetalLath Co. La Mirada, Calif.\

With reference to FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment of a prefabricatedplaster support member in accordance with this invention is shown. Apaper backed lattice material may be used to make a member generallyindicated by numeral 60. An example of such a paper backed latticematerial is “CEM-LATH K” made by Cemco, of Industry, Calif. “CEM-LATH K”is a 3.4 lb/sq. yd. Diamond mesh metal lath 62 backed with asphaltsaturated “Kraft” paper 64 which may be used to form a plaster supportmember 60 in accordance with this invention. The paper backing 64 may beused to limit the amount of plaster which is needed to cover the member60 after the member 60 is applied to a prepared structural wall (notshown).

The paper 64 extends a suitable distance such as 1½ to 2 inches beyondthe flanges 42, 44 and 3nds 38, 40 of the metal lath 62. The paper 64extension provides an overlap with adjacent paper backed members (notshown), when aligned end to end, to ensure a continuous moisture barrierwhich may be required by local or state building codes.

It is contemplated that the paper 64 may be applied to the back of thelath 62 before forming the member 60. Application of the paper 64 to theback of the lath 62 may be made by adhesive means such as a hot glue(not shown) between the paper 64 and the lath 62. The paper 64 and thelath 62 may then be positioned between an upper mold and a lower moldhaving a desired shape (not shown). Application of sufficient pressurebetween the upper mold and lower mold will cause the lath 62 and paper64 combination to be shaped into the desired member 60.

Other preformed shapes for prefabricated plaster form members inaccordance with this invention are contemplated. With reference to FIG.4 there is shown an embodiment of a prefabricated angled member 80. Theangled member 80 provides a means to fit a continuous relief band aroundthe corner of a building (not shown) without cutting and fittingstraight members. The member 80 is made from open work lattice materialas described above. The member 80 includes a first portion 82 and asecond portion 84 joined at a common edge 86. The portions 82 and 84 maybe joined by suitable means such as spot-welding, hot gluing or wiretying, as is well known in the trade. The portion 82 and portion 84 areindicated at right angles to each other, but can be any desired angle toaccommodate intersecting structural walls at other than 90 degreeangles. The portions 82, 84 are configured to have similar protuberantcross sections and protrude in a direction normal to the respectiveintersecting walls. The portions 82, 84 have respective lengths L1 andL2 measured from the common edge 86 to respective ends 38, 40. Theportions 82 and 84 have top surfaces 85 a, 85 b intersecting at edge 86.The portions 82 and 84 have respective sides 88 a, 88 b, and 90 a, 90 bbetween the respective walls and respective top surfaces 85 a, 85 b.Mounting flanges 92 a, 92 b and 94 a, 94 b project outward fromrespective sides 88 a, 88 b, and 90 a, 90 b. Flanges 92 a, 92 b and 94a, 94 b are configured to lie in intersecting mounting planes and areadapted to fit parallel to the respective adjacent intersectingstructural walls.

The member 80 is attached to the studs of a prepared structural wall bymeans of nails or staples driven through the respective flanges 92 a-94b. Self-tapping sheet metal screws are typically used to attach theflanges 92 a-94 b to metal studs. Sharp pointed “Streaker” self-tappingsheet metal screws available from Pacific Steel and Supply, San Leandro,Calif., may be used for light gauge metal studs.

The ends 38 and 40 of member 80 are configured as before to abut oroverlap contiguously with respective ends of prefabricated plaster formmembers having the same cross section as the member 80. One suchabutting relationship with a plaster form member 20 having the samecross section as member 80 is indicated by the exploded view of member20 shown in FIG. 4.

It is often desired to fit the perimeter of door or window openings withdecorative plaster elements. With reference to FIG. 5, anotherembodiment of an angled prefabricated plaster form member in accordancewith this invention is shown and generally indicated by numeral 100. Inone embodiment, the member 100 is made from expanded metal lath asbefore described. A first portion 102 is joined with a second portion104 at a common edge 106. Portion 102 includes a sheet of expanded metallath bent for form spaced apart sides 110 a and 110 b, a top surface 114and respective mounting flanges 116 a and 116 b. Portion 104 includes asheet of expanded metal lath bent to form spaced apart sides 118 a and118 b, a top surface 115 and respective mounting flanges 120 a and 120b. Portions 102 and 104 are configured to be symmetrical about thecommon edge 106. The mounting flanges 116 a, 116 b, 120 a and 120 b liein the same mounting plane indicated by arrows x, y. Flanges 116 a, 116b and 120 a, 120 b are connected to the respective top surfaces 114 and118 by the depending sides 10 a, 10 b and 118 a, 118 b. The top surfaces114, 115 lie in the same plane and are parallel to the mounting flanges116 a, 116 b, 120 a, 120 b.

Alternative Preformed Plaster Relief form Member

The previous art method of attaching separate guide edge members to thehand formed plaster relief forms incurs extra handling and additionalcost due to high rate labor charges. With reference to FIG. 6, there isillustrated a perspective view of a portion of an alternative preformedplaster relief form in accordance with this invention, and generallyreferred to as numeral 150. As before described with reference to FIG.1, wherein similar reference numerals are used to designate similarelements, the member 150 is formed of an open work lattice material 22.A preferred lattice material is a diamond mesh expanded metal such as3.4 lb/sq. yd galvanized metal lath made by CEMCO of Covina Lane,Industry, Calif. The lattice material 22 of member 150 is preformed toinclude a top surface 31 having opposed ends 38, 40. The top surface 31has a bending line along the surface 31. The bending line is normal tothe opposed ends and defines an edge 33. The lattice material 22 is bentalong the edge 33 to define a side 34 extending downward from topsurface 31. The side 34 extends downward a suitable distance from thetop surface 31, to a second bending line 35, for example, 1½ inches. Thelattice material 22 is bent along the second bending line 35, to form amounting flange 42 extending laterally outward from the side 34 of themember 150 to a suitable distance F, e.g. 1½ inches. A similar bendingline, edge, side and flange (not shown) may be formed in a symmetricalrelationship to the side 34 as before described and shown in FIG. 1.

A prefabricated guide edge member 160 is shown in exploded relationshipto the member 150 as member 160 for clarity. Guide edge member 160 isattached at a plurality of points 162 along a first edge 164 to the topsurface 31 of the member 150. The edge member 160 is attached at asecond plurality of points 166 to the side 34 of member 150. The methodof attachment may be spot welding, or bonding with an adhesive such ashot glue. A preferred guide edge member 160 is the standard Bullnoseregular cover nose wire having standard 1 1/2 inch legs made by StocktonProducts, Covina, Calif. The guide member 160 includes a guide edge 168spaced apart from, and parallel to, the intersection of the top surface31 and the side 34. The guide edge 168 is spaced apart a suitabledistance, e.g. 5/8 inch from the top surface 31 of the member 150. Theguide edge 168 provides an edge to guide a tool, such as a trowel, whileapplying plaster to the member 150, in such a manner that a uniformplaster coating thickness is easily achieved on the top surface 31. Theguide member 160 includes a plurality of wire support members 170 and172 connecting the guide edge 168 and the respective top 31 and side 34of the member 150. A similar guide edge 174 spaced apart form the side34 by a suitable distance, e.g. 5/8 inch provides an edge to guide atool along the member 150 to achieve a uniform plaster coating thicknessalong the side 34.

The exploded view of the member 160 illustrates corresponding attachmentpoints 162 and 166, the connecting wires 170′ and 172′ and the guideedge 168′.

With reference to FIG. 7, there is shown in cross section along theviewing plane indicated by 7-7 of FIG. 6, the contour of the edge guidemember 160 attached to the top 31 and the side 34 of the member 150 atattachment points 162, 166 respectively. The top guide edge 168 and sideguide edge 174 are shown as wires attached to the connection wires 170and 172 and spaced apart from the top surface 31 and the side 34 by asuitable distance, typically ⅝ inch.

Alternative Cross Sections for Prefabricated Plaster Relief Forms

With reference to FIGS. 8 a and 8 b there are shown alternative crosssections for prefabricated plaster relief form members in accordancewith this invention. FIG. 8 a illustrates a member 200 having opposedsides 202, 203 configured in a stair-stepped shape to provide two layersof relief.

FIG. 8 b illustrates a cross section of a prefabricated plaster reliefform member 204 having a stair-stepped aspect with four corner edges206, 208, 210, 212. Each edge 206-212 has a respective guide edgemembers 214, 216, 218, 220. Each guide edge member 214-220 provides atop and a side guide edge 214 a, b-220 a,b spaced apart from therespective corner edges 206-212 by a suitable distance, e.g. 5/8 inchlaterally outward and vertically upward.

With reference to FIG. 9, the use of the prefabricated plaster reliefform is herein described. In use, a structural wall is prepared having aplurality of studs 180 spaced a suitable distance apart and mountedvertically along a foundation 182. A layer of asphalted “Kraft” paper184 for a moisture barrier is applied to the studs 180. A first layer ofwire mesh or screen 186 (commonly called chicken wire) is then attachedto the wall over the paper 184. A line is defined along the wall whereinthe desired decorative architectural structure was to be placed. Aplurality of prefabricated plaster relief form members 200 is alignedend to end along the line and attached to the wall by means of nails orstaples 186 driven through respective mounting flanges 42, 44 into thestuds 180. The light weight but substantially rigid lattice material 22and uniformity of shape provided by the preformed members 200 would makethe task of creating a uniform, continuous relief band extremely easy.With reference again to the detail of FIG. 2, the array 48 of open cells50 of the lattice material 22 provides ready access for the applicationof plaster to envelop the strands 52 and bond firmly with the lattice22.

The prefabricated guide edges 160 and 190 of the preformed plasterrelief form 200 provide guides for guiding a tool to apply plaster to auniform thickness along the relief form members 200.

One method of applying a cementitious coating is the well known threestep process. A first coat of cementitious material, typically plaster,called a scratch coat, would be applied, either by hand trowel or byspraying from a nozzle connected to a gun feeder, hopper/mixer and pumpsas is well known to those skilled in the art.

One preferred formulation for the scratch coat is set forth in Table 1.It is within the teachings of this patent to use any other suitablecementitious material to form the coating for the wall and prefabricatedplaster form 20. TABLE 1 1 part Colton Portland Cement type II 3 partscommon coarse sand 5 to 8 gallons of water per sack of cement, dependingon the water content of the sand

The scratch coat covers the wall and the sides and top surface of theform members 20 to a uniform depth of about 3/8 inch. The scratch coatis cured for a suitable time, such as 24 to 48 hours, according to theState of California Uniform Building Code 1988 Edition page 4706, hereinincorporated by reference.

A second coat of plaster about ¼ to 3/4 inches, with a preferredthickness or 3/8 inch, called the brown coat, is applied similarly tothe wall and plaster forms 20. The brown coat is cured for a suitabletime such as 7 to 14 days minimum. A suitable formulation for the browncoat is the same as Table 1, with the addition of a 3 to 5 shovelsful ofsand per sack of cement.

A final plaster coast incorporating the desired color is appliedsimilarly to a depth of about 1/16 to 1/8 inch. The formulation for thecolor coat is typically a mechanically blended compound of portlandcement, hydrated lime and inert aggregates ( 16/20 or 20/30 sand), suchas that supplied by La Habra Stucco, Anaheim, Calif. Material standardspreferably meet Federal Specification SS-L-351, Type F for hydratedlime, and Type 1 ASTM C150-56: Federal Specification SS-C-192B, forwhite portland cement.

FURTHER EMBODIMENTS

A further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 11. Thisembodiment takes advantage of an existing product used in construction.In this embodiment the relief form member 200 is made of a metal mesh202 of the type known as welded wire, preferably in the form of 2″×2″mesh, using 16 or 17 gauge wire. Paper backing comes attached to thewire mesh when it is made and sold as by manufacturers for plasteringpurposes. In this form it is referred to in the industry as welded wirelath. An example is that used in a product sold as Stucco-Rite by K-Lathof Fontana, Calif. The attached Appendix A is a copy of K-Lath'scatalogue A465,09200/KLC, Bayline 5409 showing various forms of lath.

Referring to FIG. 11, the welded wire mesh 202 is formed as describedabove into a channel shape having mounting flanges 204, sides 206 and atop 208. The mounting flanges 204 are preferably 1/2 inch to 1½ inchextending away from the sides 206. The height of the side 206 isdictated by the desired design dimension, 1½ inches being exemplary.Paper backing 210 follows the form of the channel and is attached to thewire mesh 202 by an interweaving as known in its preparation as lath.The width of the top 208 is also a design choice, 6 to 12 inches beingexemplary. The relief form member can be of any selected length for theuse, and can be preformed in exemplary lengths such as 6 to 10 feet.

This embodiment has a further alternative in which a product known asdouble wire mesh is used. The double wire mesh material is used in alath product sold as Stucco Rite Double Wire by K-Lath of Fontana,Calif., as described in the catalogue identified above. The double wiresare provided at selected intervals. The double wire form provides anailing space between the double wires to catch the nail head andprevent movement during installation.

When forming the channel shape using the welded wire mesh, the bends canbe anywhere, but referring to FIG. 12, it is preferable to havelengthwise extending wires 212 at the bends or corners, as well ashaving a lengthwise extending wire proximate the outer termination 214.Since the welded wire mesh comes in specified dimensions, whether singleor double wire, to place the lengthwise wires at the bends or cornersdictates the dimensions of the channel. This structure gives additionalrigidity which aids in installation. The paper backing 210 is shownattached to the wire mesh 202 by interweaving as is known in themanufacture of welded wire lath. A second layer of paper 215 is commonlyemployed having an asphaltic or other waterproofing component.

The foregoing alternatives using welded wire mesh can be used asdescribed, or with corner beads also known as edge metal or edge guidesas previously described and shown diagrammatically in cross-section inFIG. 13. Corner beads are sold by various manufacturers such as CEMCO ofIndustry, Calif. Appendix B is a copy of CEMCO's catalogue of Metal Lathand Accessories. Without the corner beads, certain architecture stylessuch as Spanish or mission finish are facilitated. With the corner beadsor edge guides, a smooth finish is achievable. The corner beads can beattached by any suitable means, such as by hot glue. Referring to FIG.13 the wire mesh 202 has corner beads 216 attached at the corners of thetop 208 and sides 206. Paper backing 210 is shown Another alternativeconstruction of the invention uses only corner bead members joinedtogether to form the channel. This is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 14in which corner beads 220 and 222 form the flanges 224 and along withcorner beads 226 and 228, form the sides 230 and the corner beads 226and 228 form the top 232. To form the top 232, corner beads 226 and 228may overlap as shown at P although they can abut. The four corner beadsare joined along their length by any desired means such as wire ties,welding or hot glue. Also, paper backing 234 is applied, held in placesuch as by hot glue, and can include an asphalt coated layer. The cornerbeads can be any known type, such as bullnose, or straight wire edgeguides.

Referring to FIG. 15, in another alternative the channel is constructedby using a product known as rib lath. Rib lath is a known product,similar to the expanded metal described above, but having parallel ribsof solid, unexpanded portions extending lengthwise between areas ofexpanded metal. The rib lath is shown in the CEMCO catalogue. The ribsmay be about ⅜″ wide and spaced apart about 1⅛ inch with three expandedportions between them. Referring to FIG. 15, the rib lath 238 has theribs 240 and the expanded metal portions 242 between the ribs. The riblath 238 is formed into a channel shape as shown diagrammatically havingraised corners where the sides and top meet with ribs 240 at the cornersto serve as edge guides. In FIG. 15, the longer lines 240 represent theribs and the shorter lines and spaces 242 represent the expanded metalportions. The rib lath structure is preferably also used with paperbacking as described above. In this form the corner bead or edge guideis built into the channel form itself. The sides of the channel could beconvergent from top to flange to provide an edge guide for the sides, orthe sides could be bent, like the top so that the corner protrudes toprovide an edge guide for the sides.

Referring to FIG. 16, in another alternative series of structures any ofthe foregoing shapes can be formed using woven wire also known aschicken wire for the basic channel shape. This wire is referred to asStucco Netting in the K-Lath Catalogue. It is preferably augmented withpaper backing and as desired with corner beads as described above. Theself-furring form is preferred to keep a space between the wire and thepaper backing. The woven wire is formed into a channel 250, with flanges252, sides 254 and top 256. Corner beads 258 are attached as well aspaper backing 260.

Corner beads are commonly made with lengthwise wires at the apex to forma bullnose or straight shape and undulating and straight wires combinedto provide an extension away from the apex. In the CEMCO catalogue thisis shown on page 8 as CEMCORNER. FIGS. 17 a and 17 b shows thisstructure with wires 270, 272 and 274 defining an apex, and theremainder of the structure of undulating wires 276 and straight wires278 forming side extensions away from the apex. In the presentinvention, referring to FIGS. 17 a and 17 b, this type of corner beadcan be used as shown in the CEMCO catalogue, but in a further embodimentthe side extensions can be cut away to make it smaller. Selected placesfor lengthwise cutting away are shown at A-A, B-B, C-C and D-D. The formcreated by the cutting away along line D is shown in FIG. 18.

In all of these alternative constructions, no underlying structuralsupport member is used. In particular any wood boards are absent.

In all of these further embodiments, the shape of the channel can bemade in the stepped form as shown in FIGS. 8 a and 8 b except that thechannel is made of materials as described in these further embodimentsand absent any additional underlying support such as wood boards.

While the foregoing detailed description has described the embodimentsof the plaster relief form member in accordance with this invention, itis to be understood that the above description is illustrative only andnot limiting of the disclosed invention. It will be appreciated that itwould be possible to modify the type of lattice material to includelarger or smaller cells and strands, to modify the shape of the cellsand the material, to modify the cross section to include non-uniformshapes, to add other structures to the plaster relief form member suchas flashing for interfacing with roofing members, to modify the coatingof that lattice material by paints and/or other rust preventativematerials or to include or exclude various elements within the scope andspirit of the invention. Thus the invention is to be limited only by theclaims as set forth below.

1-13. (canceled)
 14. A prefabricated relief form member for receivingand retaining cementitious coating when the form member is attached to aprepared structural wall, the member comprising; woven wire mesh bent toform a top, spaced apart sides and flanges extending oppositely from thesides; to define a channel having a hollow interior; paper backing fixedto the channel interior; and absent any other structural supportmembers.
 15. The prefabricated relief form member of claim 14 furthercomprising corner bead members fixed to the corners of the channelformed by the top and the sides.
 16. The prefabricated relief formmember of claim 14 further wherein the woven wire mesh is of the selffurring type.
 17. The prefabricated relief form member of claim 15wherein the corner bead members have a portion of at least one of theirside extensions cut off.
 18. (canceled)
 19. (canceled)
 20. A method ofmaking a relief form member for attachment as an architectural featureto an exterior wall comprising; starting with wire members weldedtogether to form an elongated welded wire structure; bending theelongated welded wire structure to form a hollow channel defined by atop and sides and to have corner aids at the corners of the top andsides formed integrally from the elongated welded wire structure; usingfasteners, attaching the relief member to the exterior wall ofstructure; employing no other structural support member; applyingcementitious material in a plurality of layers, at least the first layerusing the corner aids as guides to control application of thecementitious material thereby forming on the exterior wall anarchitectural feature defined by the shape of the surface of thecementitious material applied over the hollow channel formed by thewelded wire members.
 21. The method of claim 20 further comprising;applying an elongated paper member on the interior of the channel andapplying hot glue to hold the paper to the metal channel member.
 22. Themethod of claim 20 wherein the elongated metal member is made of wiremembers welded together.
 23. The method of claim 20 wherein the shape ofthe surface defines a rectangular cross section